Category:

Dateline:

Public Company Information:

NYSE:

PG

"When researching the project, the first step was to visit a care facility to see how the assisted shaving experience is different when compared to how we shave ourselves"

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gillette recently designed and engineered TREO™ – the world’s first ever
assisted shaving razor – to offer a comfortable and dignified shaving
experience for the millions of men and women of all ages who, for
whatever reason, are unable to shave themselves. Now, the brand is
announcing the next step in TREO™’s learning journey: starting today and
while supplies last, U.S. and UK consumers are invited to request a
product sample to trial via a new website: www.gillettetreo.com.

In addition, during what will be a three-month pilot phase, a number of
professional care homes and institutions in both markets are also
partnering with the brand to trial Gillette TREO™ samples amongst their
many professional caregivers and care recipients. From these thousands
of at-home and institutional shaving experiences, Gillette’s scientists
and researchers plan to collect first-hand feedback to refine the TREO™
product experience – at launch and beyond.

For the millions needing assistance with day-to-day living, personal
care is an important part of maintaining normalcy, confidence, and
dignity. However, as part of this, the shaving process can often be a
daunting, messy, and difficult task.

Ultimately, it’s a problem that impacts a significant portion of the
population in the U.S. According to research from Gillette’s partner
American Society of Aging, over 8 million older adults in the U.S.
receive assistance with activities of daily living – including shaving –
from family or professional caregivers annually1, and over
34.2 million Americans have provided basic care to adults over 50 years
or older in the past year2.

In fact, Google estimates that tens of thousands of conversations happen
about the demands of everyday caregiving3. Inspired by real
world conversations just like these, Gillette began its journey of
developing and researching a product to address this very emotional
consumer need.

“When we spoke with our partners like ASA, we learned that the primary
goal of family members and professional caregivers alike is to help
maintain a sense of normalcy and to support lost functions – like the
ability to shave oneself,” said Melissa Monich, Vice President of
Research & Development, Global Grooming at P&G. “We were struck by how
important these day-to-day activities are in supporting the dignity,
pride and morale of those who need assistance. This made us even more
compelled to use our expertise to develop a more comfortable and safer
experience – and that is what continues to inspire us on this TREO™
journey.”

WHAT MAKES GILLETTE TREO™ DIFFERENT

During the course of this journey, Gillette discovered a surprising fact
– based on U.S. patent filings, over 4,000 razors have been designed for
the purpose of shaving yourself, but zero have been specifically
engineered for shaving another individual. The team set out to change
this. Tapping into rich consumer insights and working closely with
caregivers and industry professionals, early prototypes were evolved to
get to the Gillette TREO™, a razor uniquely designed for assisted
shaving.

The Gillette TREO™ is a dramatic departure from a standard razor, driven
by the very different needs of not one, but two, consumers – the
caregiver and the individual getting the shave.

“When researching the project, the first step was to visit a care
facility to see how the assisted shaving experience is different when
compared to how we shave ourselves,” said Matthew Hodgson, TREO™’s lead
designer at Gillette. “Very quickly, we noticed big differences and big
difficulties. For example, we realized the ergonomics of the handle and
direction of the blade completely change when turned to shave another
person, and thus a complete redesign would need to be engineered.”

The team then designed a new solution with a range of features designed
to address the biggest differences:

THE BLADE – Designed to make the shave safe and help prevent
clogging.

THE HANDLE – Unlike traditional razors, the Gillette TREO™’s
special handle operates like a paintbrush, with a unique divot for
control and comfort for caregivers and those being cared for.

THE SHAVE GEL – Built into the handle, the special gel hydrates
the hair and lubricates the skin for a comfortable, mess-free shave.

The Gillette TREO assisted shaving razor has been engineered to provide
control, safety and comfort.

Since its founder King C. Gillette changed the way men shave forever,
innovation has been an important part of Gillette’s heritage. Through
the years, Gillette has worked to improve the shaving experience and
stay focused on the needs of all consumers. It is this rich
history of innovation that has made Gillette a brand that has stood the
test of time for well over a century – one that is trusted by over 750
million consumers around the world.

To trial a sample of Gillette TREO™ on a loved one or within a care
setting, please request a sample at www.gillettetreo.com.

To learn more about the story of Gillette TREO™, view the ‘Handle
with Care’ video at www.YouTube.com/Gillette
- winner of seven Cannes Lions awards.

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest
portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®,
Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®,
Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®,
Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G
community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide.
Please visit http://www.pg.com for
the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

Contact:

Multimedia Files:

With its pilot phase kicking off today, Gillette invites U.S. consumers to visit www.gillettetreo.com to request to trial TREO™ – the world’s first ever assisted shaving razor, offering a more comfortable shaving experience for all those unable to shave themselves. (Photo: Business Wire)